Pyrrhus Chess
introducing the paralysing Pyrrhus
In Pyrrhus Chess the rules are the
same as in orthodox chess, except that one extra "Pyrrhus" piece per
player is placed in the reserve. Before starting, the players must decide
whether they want to use the extra piece. Only if both players choose
not to use the extra piece, then it becomes a regular game of chess. If white
turns down the extra piece, then black can overrule this.
If players
have elected to include the external piece, they may either move a piece or
pawn, or drop the extra piece from the reserve. Pieces may only be dropped on a
friendly pawn on the second rank. The removed friendly pawn must immediately be
relocated two squares ahead of the dropped piece. This position, and the
position in between, must be empty. If not, the piece cannot be dropped on the
friendly pawn. Should a player refrain from inserting his extra piece at these
occasions, then he has forfeited his chance of introducing it. Note that pieces
and pawns are allowed to move before the extra piece has been dropped. You are
allowed to make a pawn-relocation if in check, if the pawn-relocation covers the
check. The relocated pawn can be captured by 'en passant'.
There are
two variants: the first has only one external Pyrrhus piece per player, the
other two. Pyrrhus: moves and captures like a king. In addition, it
paralyses any enemy piece within queen-move range. It seems to be as valuable as
a queen.
Checkmate is an important theme, also in endgames with few
pieces. While the enemy king can easily be paralysed, this makes it exposed to
mate attacks. Try to paralyse the enemy king, queen, or Pyrrhus, in order to
attack them later. Early queen excursions are, for natural reasons, very
dangerous, but early Pyrrhus excursions are worthwhile. The knight is the only
piece able to capture an enemy Pyrrhus. This increases the value of the knight,
making it more valuable than a bishop.
In the variant with two
Pyrrhuses the knight becomes even more valuable. Sacrificing a rook for a knight
is often a good idea. Generally, one should try to exchange a bishop for a
knight. It is possible to checkmate with the king, when the enemy king is
paralysed. Interestingly, The king can often be employed in an attack on the
enemy king, or other enemy pieces that have been paralysed.
The Pyrrhus
piece is a relative of the Gorgona, which was
invented by
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The desert death adder, A. pyrrhus, is found only
in the deserts and ranges of central and Western Australia. Although death
adders are related to the slender-bodied cobras, they are viperlike in
appearance, with thick bodies, short tails, and broad heads. They are about 45
to 90 cm (18 to 35 inches) long and are gray or brownish with darker crosswise
bands. The death adder is a dangerous snake that has a potent venom that can
cause death in about one-half of untreated cases. Pyrrhus is also the name of a
king of Hellenistic Epirus whose costly military successes against Macedonia and
Rome gave rise to the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" (Encyc. Brit.).
 You can
download my free Pyrrhus Chess program
here (updated
2007-05-24), but you must own the software
Zillions of Games to be able to
run it (I recommend the download version). You can play Pyrrhus Chess
against a human opponent,
here. Don't miss my other
chess variants. |
© M. Winther (May 2007).
The
Pyrrhus paralyses the king, the bishop, and the queen, but it is threatened by
the knight. The Pyrrhus can safely capture the rook, while the queen remains
petrified and cannot capture back.